Canadian Film Digest (Aug 1971)

Our Business swaTybor IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME Distributors in the United States and Canada have for many years been operating on the theory that there are greater grosses to be realized on films in the good old summertime than at most other times of the year. Conversely, May and June were not good months in which to release so-called ‘‘important’ attractions. But with the end of June comes magic and business skyrockets. Tradition and precendent die hard in our business and it is becoming increasingly evident that the enormous grosses, which are anticipated in the summer, frequently turn out to be nothing more than mirages. There was a time when people sought relief from extremely hot weather in the summer months, by spending time in air-conditioned theatres. Today, a vast number of our potential patrons live in air-conditioned houses or have air-conditioning units in one or more of their rooms. Many now drive air-conditioned cars. Practically all restaurants and hotels are similarly equipped as are all shopping malls. Therefore, the motion picture theatre is no longer unique in supplying this type of service. Rather, it has become one of the minimal requirements for successful operation. It is still true that in summer most students do not attend school and, therefore, have more time to attend movies, if so inclined. However, this is a period when there are a great many outdoor attractions and when the weather is favourable, the inclination is to indulge in one of these rather than go indoors. More people than ever own and operate automobiles and are, therefore, free to drive to beaches or other places of recreation. There is a proliferation of outdoor activities in the summer and people are taking a more active part in them than ever before. One of the favourite theories has been that TV doesn’t claim the same viewership in the summer due to a lack of new shows and a greater reliance on repeat runs. This may be so but one should consider that there is time available to play more good old films than ever before — some of which may be better than what we currently show in our theatres. Therefore, one must query how much less competition TV is in summer. It would be interesting to know the true statistics. In many big cities in this country, there are special attractions in the summertime which do not operate during the rest of the year. In Toronto there is the Canadian National Exhibition which opens about the middle of August and continues through until Labor Day. This event has always cut into theatre attendance in Toronto. In Montreal there is now Man and His World as a permanent summer event and this also attracts many of the local population. Other cities throughout the country have set up special attractions for the summer, not only to draw visitors but to entertain their own inhabitants, Last winter was one of the severest and longest in this country. It CANADIAN FILM DIGEST is quite understandable, therefore, that people will seek to be outdoors as much as possible if the summer weather is pleasant. And this is not all the extra competition which faces motion picture theatres in the summertime in our country. For many people summertime is synonymous with playtime. Daylight saving permits people to stay outside longer and enjoy whatever recreation they desire to indulge in. Many sports stadiums are now illuminated at night. Pro football now starts in the summertime. Soccer is becoming a favOurite sport. Harness racing is increasing in popularity. In some places there are stock car races. In other places there are outdoor concerts. Anyone can make his own list of counter attractions in his particular community. On the other hand, the drive-in theatre has become a very important source of revenue for distributors and summer is the time of year when they can and do enjoy their greatest attendance. However, this does not necessarily apply to all films because some are not suitable for playing in drive-in theatres and in point of fact, if classified as ‘Restricted’ by the censor, may even harm attendance. Unquestionably, some films will do better in the summer, but when a number of important ones are released simultaneously, all are bound to suffer by the severity of competition. People who are interested in attending motion picture theatres just don’t have the time to see everything in the same short period. Another factor one must take into account, is the number of people who take holidays in the summer. Not only is this figure growing, but the length of time of vacations is being extended. Thus, in the larger key situations where early releases are being shown, a segment of potential patronage is eliminated by people who are away for holidays persumably to resorts and other small places. And while on these junkets, they will usually not attend a motion picture theatre unless beset by inclement weather, It is time that distribution examined its position with regard to summer releases. It would seem reasonable Cont’d on page 15